A New One for Wohlers

Atlanta reliever Mark Wohlers was put on the 15-day disabled list with a novel disability Thursday.

The Braves listed his condition as “inability to pitch” and sent him back to triple-A Richmond on medical rehabilitation assignment, allowing him to keep accumulating major league service time.

Inability to pitch has been Wohlers’ problem most of a season in which he has spent two terms in Richmond, which hasn’t helped.

He is 0-2 with a 17.47 earned-run average there, and in 11 1/3 innings, Wohlers has given up 20 hits and 26 walks and thrown 14 wild pitches.

On Wednesday night, he pitched against Louisville but managed to get only one out. He gave up two runs on one hit, four walks and two wild pitches.

“It’s really the only viable, meaningful thing to do right now so he can keep pitching,” General Manager John Schuerholz said.

There seems no chance Wohlers will have a spot on Atlanta’s 25-man postseason roster, which must be established by midnight Aug. 31. The Braves, closing in on their seventh consecutive playoff appearance, have a 12 1/2-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East.

Wohlers has 105 saves for the Braves since 1995, including a club-record 39 two years ago, but he hasn’t been the same since going on the disabled list early this season because of a pulled side muscle.

His ERA climbed to 10.18 and Kerry Ligtenberg is now the closer in the Atlanta bullpen with 20 saves.

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Florida Marlin owner Wayne Huizenga says the team might remain for sale into next season because he’s reluctant to reduce his asking price of $165 million.

Speaking publicly about the Marlins for the first time since May, Huizenga said he’s not close to selling the 6-year-old franchise, which has been on the market since June 1997.

Marlin President Don Smiley began assembling investors 14 months ago but has been unable to meet the asking price. Millionaire commodities trader John Henry of Boca Raton has offered $150 million in cash.